


The Dagger and the Eagle

by fififolle



Category: The Eagle | The Eagle of the Ninth (2011)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Master/Slave, Pre-Slash, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 13:22:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10022420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fififolle/pseuds/fififolle
Summary: Marcus discovers his soulmate quite unexpectedly.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sineala](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sineala/gifts).



> Written for fandom-stocking 2016, for Sineala.

Marcus had always liked his soul mark. A small dagger on his hip. His father had always told him he would be a great warrior one day, and protect his family bravely. As he'd grown, the markings on the dagger had looked like the decorations he'd seen on the spoils of war brought back from Britannia, and he'd desired to follow in his father's footsteps and defeat the Picts and other animals of the north.

He wasn't sure about a family. He felt he was a good soldier, and perhaps his soul belonged to the sword and shield. With his first command as Pilus Prior, he had no time for women, and took no pleasure in them. His life was the army. His soul was born to defeat the enemies of Rome.

Then he had his accident. 

It wasn't even as if he'd had a blinding revelation when he'd seen Esca in the arena. No flash of light as he saw his soulmate for the first time. But when Esca had been bought for him, and tossed the dagger at Marcus' feet, then, oh then he had seen it.

“What is that?” he'd whispered, resisting the desire to step away from the dagger in case it might burn him.

“I owe you my life,” Esca had said sullenly. “And so I must serve you. My father's dagger is my bond.”

Marcus searched Esca's face for any sign that he knew of the significance of this dagger, but he only saw a tired and defiant young man who might rather want to be anywhere but here.

To make absolutely sure, Marcus lifted the dagger from the floor and turned it over. The resemblance was quite, quite remarkable. Under his subligaculum he could feel his mark itch. It suddenly _hurt_.

“Esca,” Marcus said quietly, “Do your people have... soulmates?”

Esca frowned. “Of course. They have a mark, and they know when they meet the one they-” He stopped. Froze.

“Esca, do you have a mark?” Marcus asked, pulling up his tunic and tugging at his underclothes by his hip.

Esca's eyes were wide and he hadn't moved a muscle since he stopped speaking.

Marcus couldn't quite believe that Esca was his soulmate, but by the gods, he wanted to confirm it one way or the other. “Jupiter's bolts, boy, doesn't your mark _hurt_?”

Marcus revealed the dagger on his hip and stared at it. Yes, that was it. The dagger in his other hand. On his fucking hip. Esca's dagger.

He looked up at Esca.

Esca had tears in his eyes and was trembling where he stood. He pushed carefully at the dirty breeches he wore to reveal the mark on his own hip. A rather rough estimation of an eagle. Like a picture of a carved wooden toy. “I can't tell... Dominus... Everything hurts.”

Marcus stood quickly, ignoring the pain in his own leg, and managed to catch Esca before he fell, but they still crashed to the floor. “That's my eagle,” he whispered, overwhelmed with a protectiveness for the young Brigantine again. “You've got my eagle.”

So it was true. Esca was his soulmate.

Marcus' uncle came rushing in. “What's happened here?”

Marcus drew on all his training to stay calm tugging the fabric back in place to hide their secret. It had to be secret. “The boy is weak and hurt, Uncle Aquila.”

“Well, I'm sorry, Marcus,” Aquila blustered. “I thought he had a little strength left in him to be your body slave.”

Marcus' heart squeezed within his chest. Esca would never be his _slave_. “He does, Uncle, I am sure of it. He just needs a little time to recover.” Esca's eyes met his, and he nodded. Marcus helped him to stand, arms around each other, and where their hips met, it burned.

Uncle Aquila huffed. “Not unlike you when you arrived here, Marcus. All right then, have him bathed and rested, but if he's no good then I'll take him back.”

The thought of Esca being taken from him was unthinkable to Marcus. “Of course, Uncle.”

Uncle Aquila wandered back out, and Marcus held Esca tightly.

“I won't let anyone take you away from me,” Marcus declared, surprised at his own vehemence.

Esca looked up at him, pale but content. “Are you really mine, Dominus? My Marcus?” he asked.

“Yes,” Marcus said immediately, and the pain of his mark dulled to a warm comfort. “You are my soulmate, and I am yours.” 

~


End file.
